We were supposed to be discussing Obama’s farewell speech, which struck me less as a valedictory and more, with its ringing call to “forge a new social compact” and explicit recognition that “stark inequality is also corrosive to our democratic idea,” like the campaign speech he should have given four years ago. If he had, and then acted accordingly, we might have spent this morning debating whether President-elect Clinton would be able to improve on her predecessor’s radical egalitarian agenda.

Instead, of course, we wrestled with #Watersportsgate, hampered more than a little by editorial guidelines forbidding us from going into the “grubby details” despite those details—indeed, the full dossier on Trump’s Russian adventures, which has apparently been making the rounds of Washington insiders for weeks—having been published by Buzzfeed last night.

The dossier, which accuses Trump and his campaign of knowingly conspiring with Putin’s government to influence the US election in his favor, in return for an explicit promise “to sideline Russian intervention in the Ukraine as a campaign issue,” raises several fascinating questions, starting with whether Buzzfeed was right to publish a document making “explosive—but unverified—allegations” against the President-elect despite being unable to confirm, or falsify, them.

I believe they were right to do so, even though, as Buzzfeed admitted, they already knew that the material was “not just unconfirmed: It includes some clear errors.” Given the dossier’s dodgy provenance—supposedly written by a former British intelligence operative originally commissioned by one of Trump’s Republican opponents and later hired by unnamed Democrats—there were good arguments for initially handling it with extreme suspicion, especially for news organizations that hold themselves to a higher standard than the Drudge Report.

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But once the dossier was in circulation, among not only reporters on the intelligence and campaign beats but also politicians, intelligence officials, and law-enforcement agents—with President Obama and President-elect Trump both given official briefings on its contents—then yes, the people do have a right to know not just in summary terms but in detail what has been alleged. Even when those details include sexual conduct that many Americans (and the British daytime-television audience) might find shocking—unless, that is, they were fans of John Updike’s Rabbit Is Rich, which introduced “golden showers” into the (pardon the expression) mainstream way back in 1981.

Diverting as the details are—and given what Trump has not just admitted but boasted of doing in the past, such practices, even if true and captured for posterity by the FSB, are hardly likely to disqualify him—the central questions remain fundamentally political. Because Trump’s resemblance to a broken clock—right about the need to restore American manufacturing, and to seek common ground with Russia on issues ranging from Iran to nuclear proliferation to combating ISIS; wrong on just about everything else—isn’t just a problem for the left. Bernie Sanders seems to have figured out a way to challenge Trump without playing into the narrative of elitist derision; the rest of us are still struggling.

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So it came as little surprise that the most cogent comment on Trump’s latest outrage came not from our side, but from National Review, which said: “If Trump can disprove some/any of the specific allegations in the report, it will likely do more to inoculate him than cripple him. If he can’t disprove any of the specific allegations, his presidency will be wounded, perhaps more mortally.”

That seems about right. As Lawfare and many others have pointed out, “the document contains…the kind of facts it should be possible to prove or disprove. This is a document about meetings that either took place or did not take place, stays in hotels that either happened or didn’t,” etc. Whatever the FBI and other government agencies have established to corroborate or discredit the leaked material should be made public. In the meantime, journalism should do its job—not by sniffing Trump’s hotel sheets but by reporting on his, and his campaign’s, contacts with Russian and other foreign government officials and agents.

Although he’s never made this claim—and indeed often forced us to think about it more than we want to—Trump’s sex life is his own affair. But his personal and family business ties to foreign autocrats—whether Russian, Chinese, or Emirati—should have been fully aired long before now. Today’s Twitterstorm doesn’t change that. Nor should it deny even Donald Trump the same presumption of innocence any American would be entitled to (though I wouldn’t want to argue the point with any of the Central Park Five).

And if the most serious charge proves true? If Trump or one of his employees did knowingly conspire with the agents of a hostile power to influence the American election in exchange for promises regarding US foreign policy? Trump’s mentor Roy Cohn sent the Rosenbergs to the electric chair for a lot less.

So far Trump has been getting away from almost anything he has said or done because it seems that the man scare the hell out of almost everybody. And that is not right in America that is supposed to be the best Democracy in the world. It is about time that our most reasonable and responsible authorities make this character to know that he is not immune to the law. If we don't do the right thing at this time, later on it will be dangerous for everybody to have this man as our President.

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Martin Amellsays:

January 14, 2017 at 11:44 am

Not many people care about the sex lives of others, but when said sex life puts in danger the security of a nation and the confidence of its leaders to legitimately lead the nation it's suddenly a big deal. Personally I don't care if Trump was caught banging chimpanzees dressed in drag, but when such actions can be used to blackmail the sitting president or president elect the public really ought to have some idea of what is going on.

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John Sessomssays:

January 12, 2017 at 3:34 pm

The documents published by Buzzfeed are NOT the "full dossier" on Trump. They come from opposition research commissioned by some of Trump's GOP Primary opponents, that was later continued at the behest of Democratic Party donors. One question that raises for me is how & why were Trump's GOP opponents passing information to Democratic Party donors?

Leaving that aside, the documents provide a different, but corroborating view on previously reported stories about Trump's and his adviser's relationships with Russian government figures.

Standing alone, the documents may be questionable ... but, they do NOT stand alone.

(5)(1)

Jake Hawkessays:

January 11, 2017 at 7:02 pm

All the whiney Trump supporters are in a tizzy because someone published some smut on Trump from a questionable source.

Well what about all of the lies Trump has been telling about Obama, Hillary, Bill, Cruz, etc., etc., etc.
He has told lies about conspiracy theories, lies about immigration, lies about crime, lies about the election and the media, lies about his business and charity, lies about "I never said it."...
I hope that someone actually can prove what is obvious to anyone who is paying attention that he is a dishonest scumbag criminal who should never have been elected.

But if he has covered his tracks so well that it isn't possible to find the proof, I hope people keep making up shit about him, tell lies about him like he does with everyone else until everyone is convinced that he is lower than whale shit.

If there is any justice in this world...that is exactly what will happen...

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Michael Robertsonsays:

January 11, 2017 at 11:19 pm

Answering lies with more lies only adds to the confusion and solidifies the alternate reality that many people now dwell in. There are too many people already who are unable to sort reality from fantasy. Adding to it only enhances the dystopia we are living in.

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Clark M Shanahansays:

January 11, 2017 at 8:37 pm

Jake,
He takes the low road; so we have the right to respond in kind?
That's how HRC lost the election; she let him lead her to the lowest common denominator.

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Phil Sutinsays:

January 11, 2017 at 6:04 pm

Republicans conspired with a friendly power —— South Vietnam —— in 1968 to help Richard Nixon win the presidency and with an unfriendly power —— Iran —— in 1980 to assist Ronald Reagan. These incidents were much more serious than those in the current rumors.

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Genevieve Beenensays:

January 11, 2017 at 5:17 pm

Please! The Central Park Five were acquitted. That was a terrible injustice.
Also, Trump in broad daylight, before God and everyone, invited Russia to hack Hillary's files. No one mentions it now, but that was no joke. They really did it. Let him take credit for it the way he is taking credit even for job gains for which he is NOT responsible.

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Cara Mariannasays:

January 11, 2017 at 7:13 pm

There is not, as of yet, any hard evidence that Russia hacked the DNC or that Putin did so much as lift a finger to help Trump win. Claiming so in the absence of definitive proof is a dangerous game of scapegoating.

Patrick Lawrence has it right: "the incessant hubbub about Russia’s throwing the election to Trump is of little account other than to Clintonites in need of psychotherapy. The frenzy of Russophobic scapegoating in the Obama administration’s final days concerns a very different, more serious matter: It reflects the panic prompted by Trump’s proposal to turn relations with Moscow from irrational hostility to sober, reasoned cooperation. The pitch of this paroxysm is a measure of the extreme dependence of numerous constituencies on a brink-of-war degree of tension with Russia. We are on notice now: Elements within the Pentagon, the CIA, the national-security apparatus, the NATO bureaucracy, and the defense contractors will go to the mat to prevent whatever kind of neo-détente Trump may have in mind. They need a hostile world, and we will live in one until enough of us insist otherwise."

Mr. Lawrence states it well. Whether Russia hacked the DNC or not is almost irrelevant. It's certainly a game this country has played for years and to profess righteous outrage because Russia does what we have done for years, and on a larger scale, is the height of hypocrisy. This is a dangerous game we are playing and it's unfortunate to see many liberals lining up with the hawks in a fit of retribution for Clinton's loss. Idiots with authoritarian mindsets think we should teach Russia a lesson. Notwithstanding the utter hypocrisy of that attitude, it's a game you don't play with the world's other major nuclear power. The only issue that should matter right now is Trump's business obligations to other countries, including Russia.

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Cara Mariannasays:

January 11, 2017 at 4:22 pm

In today’s summery of Stephen Cohen and John Batchelor’s weekly discussion of the new US-Russian Cold War - appropriately titled, “Who Are the Real Enemies of US National Security?” - Cohen makes the following point: “If anti-Trump American forces are behind untrue allegations [referring to documents published by BuzzFeed] of this magnitude, those forces are the primary enemies of US national security and should be investigated fully and publicly.” Guttenplan would do well to heed Cohen’s cautionary words.

Guttenplan, in this nauseating article, acknowledges that these allegations are entirely unsubstantiated but that doesn’t stop him from suggesting that the most serious of them are capital punishment offenses. This begs the question: has Guttenplan lost his fucking mind? Is the possibility of undermining Trump so intoxicating that democrats, liberals, and progressives are willing to goose step down this dangerous path? Who among us then poses the greater danger to America’s increasingly fragile democracy? That’s a question that at least Cohen has the integrity and courage to ask.

The Deep State Goes to War with President-Elect, Using Unverified Claims, as Democrats Cheer
https://theintercept.com/2017/01/11/the-deep-state-goes-to-war-with-president-elect-using-unverified-claims-as-dems-cheer/
"liberals" seem to be very good at digging their own collective grave...

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Valera Bochkarevsays:

January 11, 2017 at 4:16 pm

As of 11:30 this AM D.D. Guttenplan did not realize it was a fake ?

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Fred Carusosays:

January 11, 2017 at 3:43 pm

How about investigating if Putin is still beating his wife.

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Michael Robertsonsays:

January 11, 2017 at 11:22 pm

How about investigating if Trump's nominee for Sec of Labor is still beating his wife?

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George Kingsays:

January 11, 2017 at 2:43 pm

First and foremost any false or fake news that undermines the US citizens' confidence in those who are sworn to serve and protect for whatever reason is treasonous, appointed or elected the act is the same.
This particular fake news as you quoted never got pass the laugh test but assimilated and moved not only to the Security agencies who with dereliction of duties not only did not vet it to the level of what should be presented to either the office of the setting President but also the President Elect and then leaked to the press for what is becoming obvious sedition. Strong words indeed but proper for the current times
MSM and others who has lost any credibility, all license and privileges should be revoked dismantled and proceeds sent to the committee to protect journalist from retribution for actually presenting and telling the truth to the American people. The free press is now an Orwellian term to mean propaganda for any reason, for any purpose. What we are seeing is the “Ministry of Truth” dispensing anything but.
Just a note on the laugh test, did anyone in the intelligence community even ask for Cohen’s pass port and travel itinerary in the times in question? Obvious to anyone paying attention they did not or if they did passed on fake news/propaganda. The passport has been examined and he did not travel outside of the US during the time in question but not by any of the intelligence agencies which would have nipped the fake news in the bud and not have been submitted to the Commander in Chief or President Elect.
I agree “as for personal and family business ties to foreign autocrats—whether Russian, Chinese, or Emirati—should have been fully aired long before now” including Hillary’s State Department and the Clinton Foundations activities during her term in office and on the campaign trail. Can you point us to DD Guttenplan’s inquiries to this, questions?

George King, Is there any doubt now?
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Any-Doubt-is-Erased-US-Fo-by-George-King-Election_Foreign-Money_Foreign-Policy_Inauguration-170107-4.html?show=votes

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Robert Polhemussays:

January 11, 2017 at 1:23 pm

I despise Trump but it sickens me to see the left, liberals, and leaders of my Democratic party eagerly embracing not just implicit but explicit McCarthyism. Guttenplan: "The dossier, which accuses Trump and his campaign of knowingly conspiring with Putin’s government to influence the US election in his favor . . . raises several fascinating questions, starting with whether Buzzfeed was right to publish a document making 'explosive—but unverified—allegations' . . . despite being unable to confirm, or falsify, them. I believe they were right to do so, even though, as Buzzfeed admitted, they already knew that the material was 'not just unconfirmed: It includes some clear errors.'" Unsubstantiated accusations, fierce hate-Russia propaganda, American intelligence services compromised, slander trumpeted as "patriotism"--it's all straight McCarthyism by the numbers. And if you credit this common-sense defying garbage, put a big picture of Senator Joseph McCarthy up on your wall. Like Guttenplan shows, he's your man.

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Cara Mariannasays:

January 11, 2017 at 4:32 pm

Thank you.

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Rowland Schermansays:

January 11, 2017 at 1:22 pm

For DD Guttenplan: Where is Izzy Stone now? Or Molly Ivins? You need a larger audience, DD.

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Marjorie Wherleysays:

January 11, 2017 at 1:03 pm

I would argue that his sex life is not merely his private business IF there is material that can be successfully used to blackmail him. Yes, I know that the "potential blackmail" argument was used to discriminate against gay men. But, frankly, there is more than a small suspicion that whatever the Russians are holding may explain Trump's bromance with Putin and his unwillingness to accept any blame of Putin by his/our own intelligence agencies. And Trump is well-known for accusing others of behaviors that he himself exhibits. During today's press conference, he spent some time saying that HE warns everyone about foreign agents using "tiny cameras" to spy on Americans. Methinks he doth protest his caution about such counterintelligence a little too much......and perhaps that's how they caught him with his pants down?

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Michael Robertsonsays:

January 11, 2017 at 10:59 pm

Any prominent political figure has little business that can be kept private. His sex life shouldn't be a matter of government inquiry unless he is breaking a law, but it will be a matter of media inquiry, and a window into what kind of person Trump is.

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Betsy Smithsays:

January 11, 2017 at 5:29 pm

His sex life is his private business, but I remember the allegations that he raped a 13-year-old at one of Jeffrey Epstein's parties. Charges were filed, dropped, refiled, dropped again. Questions remain unanswered. Snopes comes to no conclusions, but it seems to me that under some circumstances, the sex life of a rich and powerful man should undergo scrutiny.

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Elizabeth Gioumousissays:

January 12, 2017 at 10:02 am

Raping anyone, or having any sort of sex with a 13 year old, is a crime. It bugs me when crimes like this get treated the same as consensual sex scandals, like having oral sex with an 18 year old intern.

Under 18, or non-consensual = crime, legitimate target for inquiry.

Over 18, consensual = not crime, not our business.

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Michael Robertsonsays:

January 11, 2017 at 11:01 pm

In Trump's case there was almost no scrutiny of this alleged rape, maybe because it was lost in the ongoing circus.

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Valera Bochkarevsays:

January 11, 2017 at 6:01 pm

Was Bubba at one of those parties as well ?
:-)

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Cara Mariannasays:

January 11, 2017 at 5:22 pm

Regarding the ludicrous notion of a "bromance" between Trump and Putin, Patrick Lawrence has the right of it: "the incessant hubbub about Russia throwing the election to Trump is of little account other than to Clintonites in need of psychotherapy."

A great starting arsenal for 'confronting' team Trump on this is this DETAILED look at pieces of the global Russia/Trump puzzle by veteran investigative economist Jim Henry, published in December. A deep dig going back decades, showing the links, letting us pursue it through to the truth: http://www.the-american-interest.com/2016/12/19/the-curious-world-of-donald-trumps-private-russian-connections/

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Clark M Shanahansays:

January 11, 2017 at 12:14 pm

DD, enough with the dog-wagging, please.
We all would be better off following Sanders' advice 'to confront, not obstruct' Trump.
Stick to confronting his cabinet nominees and his plan to immediately repeal the ACA. All the rest is all-to-clever noise distracting the public's limited attention span.
Along with David Corn, and the NYTimes, all you are achieving with your "ends justifies the means" journalism is reinforcing the unity of Trump's supporters.

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Michael Robertsonsays:

January 11, 2017 at 11:12 pm

Totally agree. While many liberals are obsessing over Russia, reflexively calling Trump 'Putin's puppet' and other such nonsense, the Republicans are engineering a coup before our eyes. Liberal websites that often mocked Republicans for their incessant fear-mongering over ISIS are now doing exactly the same thing over Russia. We are in a very dangerous place. If Trump is taken down, most of the rest of the Republican party has a hawkish attitude toward Russia (and most other countries), and now we have liberal idiots who want a war with Russia. A lot of people with their heads firmly screwed up their posteriors.

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Charlotte E Edwardssays:

January 11, 2017 at 8:08 pm

Great answer. This is the new, shiny object preventing us from hearing, discussing what really matters - the direction and future of our country.

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Carlos Valdessays:

January 11, 2017 at 12:11 pm

I quit reading when he looked optimistically at the possibility of Hillary as president elect. I voted for the Green Party because I did not want a cold war with Russia. I voted for the Green party because I did not want to send more money and arms to terrorist regimes like Saudi Arabia and Israel. We only had a lose lose election in 2016. The DNC in cahoots with the CIA and FBI to sabotage the only good policy Trump talked about. Good Relations with Russia are important to the world. Hillary's global warming solution was nuclear winter. I am so glad Hillary did not get elected. I am extremely sad Trump got elected. At least lets keep his one intelligent policy, Good Relations With Russia! Would someone write an article about how the US troops were received in Germany for beefing up Nato? I hear Germans were not happy they came to Germany.

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Fred Carusosays:

January 11, 2017 at 3:42 pm

Let's enjoy what little there is to enjoy with Trumpism - balking at the CIA and FBI as the gangs that couldn't shoot straight. The people that bring you coups all the time, but fail to predict when they will happen by other people.